Building a website is one thing, but being a good webmaster is an entirely different story. From the moment your site goes online, like a proud parent you will want to show it off. But also like a parent, you are responsible for that site. Far too often, webmasters put up their pages and abandon them shortly there after.
No one is suggesting that you sit by your computer waiting for visitors. However, if you don’t intend to reply to fan mail or readers who have questions, be sure to say so on your site. While visitors rarely will send you an inquiry, and even more rarely send you a compliment, be prepared for correspondence with your readers unless you explicitly say you don't want to answer. One cost associated with expanding websites is an increase in the volume of questions and inquiries from your visitors. Consider yourself warned that popularity does have its price.
Along those same lines, be prepared for unsolicited sales pitches. Just as search engines trawl along the web seeking out new webpages and content by following links in pages already in their index, spammers also trawl the internet looking for email addresses. Expect unsolicited offers to improve your website, earn money, and enlarge your privates from spammers who have found your email address on the web.
One solution to both the problem of spam hunters and the large volumes of fan mail is to set up an email address specifically to be used on the website. Most hosts will provide multiple email addresses, and you can set one up to receive site related messages and to act as the recipient of spam. Free email accounts offered by services online are also good ways of combating the problems you will face.
Never trust unsolicited email inquiries regarding "earning big money," "increasing web traffic," or any other service offered to you regarding your site. While some of these businesses may be legitimate, more often than not they are simply people looking to take advantage of you.
Another aspect you will have to deal with as a webmaster is the disappearance of sites you have linked to. Sometimes these sites go bankrupt; other times sites that have not followed the guidelines I have provided go ahead and change the name of an HTML document. In either case, at some point, an off site link you have will suddenly cease to exist. Broken links on a webpage is the first sign that the content is old, outdated, and no longer of use. Visitors who find broken links are much less likely to return than if your site’s links are properly maintained.
This broken link checker checks your site for broken links, for free. In some cases you can download programs that will continually monitor your site for broken links. Regardless of the method you use—even if it means checking each link yourself—keep your links current or users will think you've abandoned the site and stop coming.
When you develop a useful website, other website operators are likely to seek out a link exchange with you. Often a related site will put a link to your site in exchange for you putting a link to theirs. In some cases this is not a problem, particular if your site is small and looking to go. On the other hand, a successful does not need to exchange links; if your site has quality content, people will link to it anyway, and anyone offering to link to you probably has an unsuccessful site. Also be aware that Google will discredit your site if you link to a site that is for whatever reason blacklisted.
One concern that many people have about the internet is the insecurity of their "copyrighted" material. The funny thing is of course these are the same people who download music and movies from Kazaa. No one is looking to steal your picture of Aunt Millie’s seventieth birthday. While there is of course the threat of someone copying your data and trying to pass this off as their own, instances of this kind of theft are rare. If you are concerned, you can submit printed copies of your site to The US Copyright Office. There is a small processing fee, and you will be affordable some protection. More useful than the US Copyright Office is Google. The same search engine you use to get visitors can help track down stolen digital data. Search the internet for your name, business name, or excerpts of text from your site.
Along these same lines, visitors to your site might one day ask to legitimately copy the material hosted on your site. Everyone should develop some plan for when that day may come. Usually I accommodate people as best I can while trying to protect my own interests. Again, this is a personal issue every webmaster must deal with on their own.
On the flip side of this, don't use other people's material on your site without their permission. In most cases, individuals tend towards the side of leniency while corporations will likely deny you. However, a copyright infringement lawsuit can be an expensive undertaking, so try and avoid it. Always ask before using someone else's materials. Additionally, be prepared for someone to accuse you of stealing their material, even if you haven't. While I have never actually had a false accusation brought against me, I have anticipated it [Be warned, evil doers].
My suggestions on what to expect when you host your own site should be considered only a starting point: for roughly eighteen months of my youth, I was a member of the Boy Scouts of America. The only thing I learned in that time from that organization was the motto, "Be Prepared". Hosting a website will require you to deal with issues that occur that I have never mentioned here. I can only suggest two things along these lines: Be Prepared, and avoid the Boy Scouts.
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